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Community Blog: Why Do Quality Women Fall For Substandard Men?

Pills are not her poison, nor gambling or booze. Emotionally maladjusted men have been her drug of choice. Since her first crush on a sexually confused Cure fan with mommy issues, she has ridden nearly every loop on the roller coaster ride of human psychological dysfunction.

Higher up the chain we have sexy artists and brainy academics with intimacy issues. Further down, we find bad boys. Slackers. Dumbasses.

Kim is smart, successful and easy on the peepers, so finding a suitable mate shouldn't be such an ordeal. She has tried to rid herself of this addiction, but Lordy, how quickly the rationalizations come: "Just one last postdoc afraid to leave his house during winter," or, "What’s one more cute fireman who can’t tell time gonna hurt?"

Everyone has patterns. My friend Kyle only dates dippy women so he doesn’t feel bad when he gets bored and dumps them. My friend Erica only finds herself attracted to men with wives and girlfriends. But we stand at the dawn of a new decade. The time has come to make different choices.

Admittedly, I'm often drawn to psychologically messy men myself. Maybe it's the misguided notion that by putting together the disjointed puzzle pieces of a person's psyche, he’ll be yours forever. Or maybe it's because when you've got your act together and enjoy a mostly solid sense of self, being inside another person's chaos brings a peculiar kind of rush.

Regardless of the reasons, one day you have to wake up, face your addictions and simply quit cold turkey. I figure breaking romantic patterns is like quitting smoking. You need a few last cigarettes before you finally kick it for good.

One of Kim's last cigarettes was a perpetually unemployed bartender, twice divorced before the age of thirty and covered in tattoos. When she saw him in a café, a mild-mannered looking gentleman was reading an Abe Lincoln biography three tables away. Mr. Mild Mannered was definitely the person she should've talked to, but no, Kim had to go with the dickweed in tattoos. The bartender had only two interests: motorcycles and booze. The last "book" he’d read was the Cliff's Notes on Macbeth in high school. Of course the relationship didn't last. She could've had more sparkling conversation with a ham sandwich.

After Kim ended things with the bartender, I suggested introducing her to a friendly, emotionally sturdy teacher pal of mine.

"This guy may not be 'the One,'" I said, "but he does have a job." I was always introducing prospective love interests to Kim the same way: "He may not be 'the One' but…he doesn’t have a drinking problem," or, "he’s never been institutionalized," or, "he can read."

Kim realized her pattern had reached its sell-by date six months ago when she told me about her budding relationship with Troy, a pothead college dropout who lived in his brother's basement. I must have looked at her as if a turtle was crawling out of her nose because she promised not to meet with me again until she was in a relationship with a worthwhile partner. "But," I wailed, "That could take years!"

2. You Become Obsessed

Sometimes your heartache may lead to some obsessive behavior, almost as if you're craving a fix — so you get it with a little social media stalk sesh. Which, doesn't normally help the healing process in the long-run (no, not even if you see they're miserable without you).

3. Your Chances Of Depression Are Increased

4. Your Heart Breaks, Literally

No really! We're not being dramatic — doctors have found that 'Broken Heart Syndrome' is very real. This is when the loss of a loved one results in what closely resembles, a heartattack (and could even be misdiagnosed, as so). However it usualy only occurs under more extreme circumstances, such as the death of your love (not loss as in, "he left me for another woman").

6. You Feel Physical Pain

For years I'd listen to love songs and wonder how people could be so dramatic, then I experienced it for the first time myself — I felt like I swallowed needles after I figured out my boyfriend and I were over. But then I thought I might be a little delusional, until this: New research found that during a breakup, the brain essentially triggers sensations that you usually feel in moments of actual physical pain.

It may prompt a number of physical effects, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, stomach pain, loss of sleep, and depression.

7. Your Blood Pressure Rises

A study found that being around people you have mixed feelings towards, can cause a certain level of stress—and in response, your blood pressure can increase.

You know the motto: too blessed, to be stressed? If not, it's time to adopt it. No amount of worry will bring him back—the only thing that tends to do that is you moving on. So, do your thing and don't let the stress get to you, girlfriend!

8. You Lose Hair

According to Dr. Bessam Farjo, medical director of the Institute of Trichologists, 'it's not uncommon for women to suffer hair loss after the stress of a relationship breakdown.'

I don't know about you ladies, but I'm not trying to go bald for balls (it's just not an exchange I'm willing to make)! When in doubt, screw them (not literally) and refer to the last item on this list.

9. You're Motivated You To Be A Better You

There's good news—finally. In a previous article we found that 35 percent of women say they feel motivated to exercise or diet, after a breakup; overall, 84 percent have found that this is a good opportunity to change something about themselves. Yep! Sounds about right. Although, I will admit that my intentions don't begin completely focused on self-improvement — it's more like an evil plot to make him regret dumping me on my ass. I will say that it makes me feel happier when I hit the gym after a bad breakup. You know, after I pick myself up out of the bed from days of sobbing.